


Gender: Cute Butt

by XenophonSpeaks



Series: Erejean Week [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, gender-nonconforming character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 19:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3662376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XenophonSpeaks/pseuds/XenophonSpeaks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jean asks Armin to introduce him to "the hot chick with the cute butt" Armin is friends with, he's all too happy to oblige. Armin may be less than entirely forthcoming with all available information, but he's pretty sure it's for the greater good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gender: Cute Butt

**Author's Note:**

> Day Four of Erejean Week: Gender
> 
> This story is inspired entirely by my husband, who was an incredibly pretty boy in college (long, silky hair, a slim waist and slightly curvy hips). I constantly had random guys coming up to me to ask, "Hey, who was the hot girl you were with earlier?" and it never failed to amuse me how disappointed/offended they were when I responded with, "My boyfriend." Obviously this story turns out very differently, but still. 
> 
> Additionally, this is by far the shortest thing I wrote for Erejean Week. That was one of my goals with this: to keep things shorter and focused on a smaller timeline. I think it's still enjoyable, but I'm kind of biased. Another goal of mine was to write this from a POV that was neither Jean nor Eren's, so hopefully you all love Armin as much as I do.

“Who was the hot chick you were walking around with earlier?” Jean asked as he threw his bag onto the desk next to Armin. Armin, for his part, gave Jean an incredulous look.

“What hot chick?”

“You know, the girl with the brown hair. Ponytail? She was wearing a black t-shirt, ripped jeans. Super pretty green eyes, cute butt. How can you not know who I’m talking about? You were with her like fifteen minutes ago, dude.”

Armin’s face seemed to go blank for a moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times. “That’s my friend, Eren. We grew up together.”

“Well you should totally introduce me sometime. She’s definitely my type.” Jean gave Armin a roguish smile. “Unless you’re interested in her?”

Armin made a noise that sounded like he was choking, burying his face in his notebook briefly before meeting Jean’s eyes again. “Eren isn’t really my type, Jean. Plus we’ve been friends way too long, it’d be really weird.” He glanced across the room to where a small blond woman with cool eyes sat diligently reading over her notes. “Besides, I’m kind of interested in someone else.”

Jean snorted. “I know. I think everyone knows, actually, except maybe for her. Anyway, definitely introduce me to this Eren girl. We could all grab lunch together after class or something. Please?”

Armin gave Jean a wry smile, turning to face the front of the room as the professor walked in and the classroom began to settle. “Sure thing, Jean.”

Armin pulled out his phone and began surreptitiously texting Eren.

[ARMIN ALERT!]: Do you remember the guy I sit by in Calc? The one you said reminds you of a horse?

[Eren Jaeger]: Yea why?

[ARMIN ALERT!]: He wants me to introduce you over lunch. He says you’re hot.

[Eren Jaeger]: wtf no way. i don’t even kno him??

[ARMIN ALERT!]: His name is Jean. He said you have super pretty eyes and a cute butt.

[Eren Jaeger]: …well i guess lunch couldn’t hurt. when tho?

[ARMIN ALERT!]: How about after class tomorrow?

[Eren Jaeger]: k but i’m not paying fyi

Once class let out, Armin turned to Jean as he began packing his things. “Eren agreed to meet us for lunch tomorrow after class if you’re free.”

Jean’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously man? I wasn’t sure you’d actually do it, holy shit. Yeah, I’m totally free tomorrow. That was fast, damn.”

“Great. Then we’ll leave from class and meet Eren at the café down the street tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Thanks man, I totally owe you one.”

Armin smiled knowingly. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

 

-

 

The following day, Armin noted that Jean showed up to class dressed a little nicer than usual. Nicer for a college student, anyway. He had forgone the sweat pants and baggy hoodie for dark blue jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a black jacket that was probably the most stylish thing Armin had ever seen Jean wear (which frankly wasn’t saying much but Armin believed in giving credit where it was due).

“You look nice,” he said as Jean unpacked his things for class.

“Really? Thanks. I mean it’s not much but you know,” Jean said, preening. Armin noticed he kept stealing worried glances at himself in the reflection of his phone, zipping up his jacket only to unzip it again halfway before finally undoing the whole front and looking overall thoroughly frustrated.

“… Do I really, though?”

Fighting off a laugh, Armin gave him a smile. “You really do look nice, Jean.”

Clearly pleased with that answer, Jean sat down as the professor started class. Armin desperately tried not to let Jean’s fidgeting distract him throughout the lesson but Jean seriously didn’t stop moving for the entire class hour. When he wasn’t scribbling in the corner of his notebook, he was bouncing his leg; biting his pencil distractedly; tapping his fingers against his notebook at a furious pace; generally making a ruckus for those seated on either side of him. When the lesson was over and everyone stood to start packing their things, Armin let out a relieved sigh.

“Well then,” he said cheerfully, “Let’s get going, shall we?”

Jean nodded, hurrying after him like a lost puppy.

They walked out of the campus building and began their trek to the café down the road. Armin lost himself in thought, noting that the weather was warming up –why did he even wear this jacket—and considering that finals would be fast-approaching soon. He should probably make an effort to study more. Not that he didn’t already, but more couldn’t hurt.

“So, uh, what can you tell me about her?” Jean asked as they approached their destination, startling Armin out of his thoughts. He’d almost forgotten Jean was even there, he was so quiet. It was a strange change of pace considering how visibly anxious Jean had been in class, though he did look rather pale now. Probably the part of anxiety where you start to feel queasy, Armin thought.

“Do you have any, I don’t know, tips for making a good impression I guess?” Jean was saying.

Armin grinned, reaching out to open the door to the café. “I’m sure you’ll do fine, Jean. Just be yourself, you know?”

“Right, right,” murmured Jean distractedly as he began scanning the shop in a very obvious manner. Armin rolled his eyes, grabbing him by the elbow and steering him toward the booth in the corner where Armin knew Eren always sat.

“Hey, Eren,” he greeted as they approached. He could practically feel the nerves coming off Jean in waves. “Jean, this is my best friend, Eren. Eren, this is Jean, my friend from calc.”

Eren looked up with a smile, watching as Armin herded Jean into the booth ahead of him. “Hey. I’m Eren. Nice to meet you,” he said, sticking out his hand.

Jean took it and shook it, mouth opening and closing for a moment before his eyes narrowed in recognition. “Wait a minute. You’re the guy who always wears the beanie. I’ve seen you before. You’re always with Armin,” he said after a moment with a frown.

Armin tried to reign in his silent laughter as he watched the scene unfold.

“Yes,” Eren said slowly, clearly confused as he settled back into his seat. He looked pointedly at the beanie on the table beside him. “That’s me.”

“Uh,” Jean said eloquently, looking to Armin for help.

Armin merely raised one eyebrow imperiously. He was probably enjoying this more than he should.

“You didn’t tell me Eren was a guy,” Jean eventually blurted out, face flushing.

“I am a guy. Usually, anyway,” Eren said, realizing what the problem was. “I’m guessing you must have seen me the other day wearing my new pants. I like to wear girl jeans sometimes,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t really care a whole lot for gender roles and whatever.”

Jean’s face was an impressive shade of red, Armin noted. He watched as Eren’s face set itself into a hard line.

“Why, you got a problem with that or something?”

“Oh, no, um,” Jean said quietly. He looked deep in thought for a moment. Eren seemed prepared for him to leave or say something rude and was surprised when instead Jean asked, “So what pronouns do you use?”

Armin silently patted himself on the back for having good intuition, watching as Eren’s tan face darkened a shade or two, clearly caught off guard.

“Uh, he/him is fine. I don’t really care a whole lot, to be honest,” he said, giving Jean a searching look. “That really doesn’t bother you?”

“What?” Jean scoffed, “No. Definitely not. Kind of the, uh… kind of the opposite, really.” He looked away, grabbing a menu off the table but not really reading it. “I’m sort of into people of any gender, so it’s not a big—I mean, I still think you’re really—“

Jean was clearly trying and failing to find a way to reassure Eren he was still into him without actually saying he was into him. Armin could probably step in and help, he thought, but it was too much fun to watch.

“I’m more shocked that you’re the same guy I’ve seen all year. I didn’t realize how hot you were,” he finally finished angrily, flipping through the menu rapidly in what looked to be an effort to distract himself from his embarrassment.

Eren looked both highly flattered and highly embarrassed himself. “Oh. Well, I guess I’m glad you like my, uh, new look,” he said, fidgeting with his ponytail. “Though I’m not going to lie to you, I was hot in my beanie, too.”

“No way. It hid your hair and you couldn’t even see your eyes. That’s like a fashion tragedy or something.”

“What the hell? I _like_ this beanie, I’ll have you know.”

Armin felt entirely pleased with himself.

He continued to observe as they spent the better part of the next hour and a half continuing to bicker about inane subjects –“Mayo is absolutely disgusting, what is wrong with you?” “What is wrong with _you_ that you can’t appreciate the wonder of mayonnaise, you heathen?”— while Armin silently considered that he might not actually make a half bad cupid.

When they stood up to leave, Eren offered to give Jean his number if he paid for the food. Jean grumbled his ascent, pulling out his phone for Eren to input his contact info. Once Jean had finished paying, Eren returned his phone to him.

“See you,” he said in a rush, startling everyone by giving Jean an abrupt hug before practically running out the door.

Armin didn’t bother trying to hide his laughter this time as he watched the look on Jean’s face, standing to make his way toward the exit as well.

“I really do owe you one,” Jean whispered, starring reverently at the new contact in his phone which Armin saw read “Eren Who Thinks Your Butt Is Pretty Cute Too”.

“Yeah, you probably do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Want to be tumblr buddies? Come and say hello. xenophonspeaks.tumblr.com


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